


Rising from the Ashes

by stitchpelekai



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Career Change, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Stress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-28 23:19:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15717144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stitchpelekai/pseuds/stitchpelekai
Summary: Ransom wants to play hockey. And he is going to play hockey.





	Rising from the Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> (reposted from my old account)
> 
> So this was inspired after SummerFrost's story "Melting from my Wings". It's such a great character exploration of Ransom and I kind of wanted to look at him in the aftermath of that story.
> 
> I kind of parallel a few of the scenes, though I definitely think the overall tone of my fic is a bit different. Mostly due to difference in writing styles. It also deviates on some elements, especially in regards to the fact that I've included Holsom in this so that affected their communication in a different manner.
> 
> But I really enjoyed being able to explore Ransom a little more.

Don’t. That’s what Jack had said.

Ransom didn’t want to go to med school. He wanted to play hockey.

Justin Oluransi didn’t want to go to med school. He wanted to play hockey.

So don’t. Don’t do anything for anyone else. And then Jack had told him the cell number to his agent, having Ransom write it down.

“I’ll text her really quick and let her know that you’re going to be calling her soon.” Jack said, putting Ransom onto speaker. An easy silence falls over the two as Jack texts her.

The crippling tightness in Ransom’s chest loosened its death grip just a smidge. He couldn’t even describe how light he suddenly felt after months and months of studying, listening, anxiety.

It wasn’t magically gone. But to hear “don’t” from someone besides himself was so goddamn real. It wasn’t just Ransom wrestling with himself and having to listen to everyone else, even Holtzy, his favorite bro, his boyfriend, say that he shouldn’t waste his intelligence, his brain, his being.

“Alright, she’s looking forward to your call Rans. She’ll take good care of you.” Jack said. “And I’m here whenever, ok?”

Ransom let out a watery laugh, already feeling a few tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. “Yeah, thanks man.” he said. “You don’t know how much this means.”

~ ~ ~

Ash Cooke was straightforward. She’d known Jack since he could barely walk and was more than happy to hear from Ransom. “Good friend of Jack’s, I hear.”

Texting had turned into a phone call that had turned into a scheduled Skype call. Ransom had set himself up in his bedroom, making sure that Holster was downstairs still engrossed in his discussion with Lardo. It’s not so much that he doesn’t want Holster to know, he just wants to have the talk with Ash about her taking him on and starting to look at the scouts that had already reached out to the coaches.

He’d tried to keep himself calm before the call, but he’d ended up in the midst of an anxiety attack only an hour before.

“I’ve heard nothing but good things about you kid.” Ash said. She was just a little pixelated, but she had a broad grin as she spoke.

“Jack said you’ve been amazing.” Ransom said. He cracked a smile, trying to shake the lingering tingling shreds of the attack that ran the course of his body.

Ash snorted. “He’s made it pretty damn easy to be a good agent.” she said. “And I get the same feeling about you Justin. I’ve been looking over your stats for this season and you’ve been on fire. And that captain position always looks good, of course.”

Giddiness bloomed in Ransom’s chest as he leaned back in his seat. “I definitely think this has been one of my best years.” he said. “A huge reason why I want to just go for it. I just really love hockey.”

Ash flipped through a file on her desk, leaning her head against her hand. “I’m honestly impressed. And I’d be happy to take you on.”

~ ~ ~

He can’t, he can’t, he can’t.

He has to tell his parents that once he’s done with his BA, he’s going to sign with a team in the AHL. It’s not going to be the NHL (maybe one day) but it's what he wants.

His breathing hitches every time he brings up his mother’s contact.

~ ~ ~

Ransom has three Excel sheets that he checks consistently.

One has the few teams that have approached him and the pros and cons he gathers for himself, with a handful of comments from Ash.

The second is a compilation of the homework, tests, and pages he still has left for his degree. He’s been maintaining his 4.0 and stressing over tests.

The third is titled “Things Holster Can Do”. More specifically things that his boyfriend of 2 and a half years could do in each city. He wants Holster to come with him, no matter where he ends up.

~ ~ ~

Ransom finally pulls Holster up to their bedroom one night. They have a game tomorrow, but Ransom is ready to just get it out now. If there’s one person it should be easy to tell his plans to, it’ll be Holster.

“Rans? What’s up?” Holster asked. He pushed his glasses up as he plopped onto the bottom, Ransom sitting next to him. “Should I be worried?”

Ransom shook his head as he pulls his laptop into his lap, signing in. One of his spreadsheets is open. “Nothing to worry about. Just got something to tell you.”

Holster glanced at the screen, confused at the title of the spreadsheet. “Ok…”

“I, uh, talked to Jack a couple weeks ago. He gave me the name of his agent, Ash Cooke.” Ransom said. “She’s taken me on and we’re going through AHL scouts that have shown interest.”

Holster was silent for a few moments, taking in what Ransom had said. He couldn’t say that he hadn’t noticed the changes in Ransom after the fight they’d had. Once he looked a little closer, he started to see that Ransom’s anxiety and worry were much more intricate then he’d thought. “Yeah?”

Ransom nodded.

Holster slid an arm around Ransom’s waist, pulling him flush against his side. “That’s fucking amazing man.” he said. “I’m glad you told me. This is what you want, yeah?”

Ransom leaned his head against his shoulder. “Yeah dude. I’ve spent a long time thinking about it and I want to play hockey for as long as I can.”

Holster squeezed him, rubbing patterns along Ransom’s side. He knew he’d put pressure on Ransom himself, especially during that last fight. But he just wanted him to be as happy as he could and not adding to that pressure was something he’d need to work on.

“And you’ve got a spreadsheet just for me?”

“Yeah. I’ve got cities with teams listed, jobs you’ve shown interest in, and the hiring percentage for recent graduates. But we can add more together. I know we already talked about moving together, but I want you with me Holtzy.”

Holster’s smile grew. “And I’ll be with you Rans.”

~ ~ ~

“Hey, Rans?”

Ransom grumbled under his breath as a hand shook his shoulder a few times. Paper crunched under his head as he shifted, quickly snapping him awake. Fuck. He’d fallen asleep at the library again.  
He sat up, glancing down at his textbook and the notebook filled with his handwriting just next to it. He was at his usual cubicle desk, a few other books stacked for his use. “Shit. What time is it?”

He’d gotten to the library a little after 5, planning to stay for only a few hours to study and get some class reading done before practice tomorrow.

Ransom finally looked over his shoulder to see who had woken him up. Holster stood there, SMH hoodie on and glasses perched on his nose. “It’s 7:30. At night. I just wanted to come make sure you didn’t pass out here again bro. You ready to go or you wanna stay a little longer?”

Ransom rubbed at his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips. “We can head to the Haus.” He closed his book and started piling his stuff up.

Holster shimmied in next to him, grabbing the last couple books that were left on the desk. “Sounds good.”

Holster slides his hand into Ransom’s free one as they walk out together.

~ ~ ~

“You’re going to play hockey. Instead of going to med school.” His sister said. They were statements, not questions.

“Yeah.” Ransom said. He could practically see the disdain and disapproval on her face.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Ransom huffed softly. “Just please be happy for me. This is what I want.”

~ ~ ~

Ransom checks a right-winger into the boards on their latest roadie, allowing Jack and Bitty to get a goal in.

This puts them in the lead, 3-2.

They win the game and the celly after leaves Ransom flying high.

~ ~ ~

Ash and Ransom start having in person meetings a few times a month, as graduation crawls closer and closer. A handful of other scouts had come forward, going straight to Ash now that Ransom was signed on with her.

The spreadsheet with the teams and scouts is growing.

~ ~ ~

He avoids answering calls from both his parents.

Holster sees the missed calls on his phone and brings it up. “Babe, I know you’re worried. And you’ve got every fucking right to be.” he said. “Do you want me to talk to them for you?”

Ransom didn’t think it was possible to love Holster anymore than he already did, but apparently he was wrong.

Just that morning, he’d dry-retched over thinking of calling his mother for the first time in weeks. He’d Skyped both his parents and told them in a rushed word vomit his plans and clicked out of the call almost as quickly as it had started. His parents shocked faces are still present in his mind.

“Can you?” Ransom asked. “I don’t think I can talk to them.”

Holster nods, taking Ransom’s phone from him and calling his mother first. “Hey Mrs. Oluransi. It’s Holster.”

Ransom takes Holster’s hand tightly, listening as his boyfriend explains things to his mother. His breathing increases exponentially each time he picks up his mother’s voice through the line.

He really doesn’t know when he’ll be able to talk to her again himself.

~ ~ ~

Ransom signs with an AHL team just outside of Boston 2 and a half months before graduation. Holster and Ash are with him as he signs the paperwork, all three going back to the Haus afterwards for some celebratory pies and an Epikegster.

(Ash can surprisingly hold her own against some college students.)

~ ~ ~

The next morning, Holster wakes Ransom up. He’s got his laptop splayed across his chest with apartments pulled up.

“We gotta find somewhere to live.” he said. He’s got quite a few tabs open already as Ransom pushes himself up into a sitting position, lounging back on the pillows. “And we can look at some jobs for me to apply to.”

Ransom yawns, nodding. This is just the start of things. “Hell yeah bro. Better to get a head start.”


End file.
